


Christmas Lights

by Starshaker



Category: Scorpion (TV 2014)
Genre: Christmas, Christmas Fluff, Christmas Shopping, F/M, Fluff, Original Character(s), Power Outage
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-06
Updated: 2017-12-06
Packaged: 2019-02-11 11:36:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,473
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12934446
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Starshaker/pseuds/Starshaker
Summary: Waige Christmas fluff. Paige is Christmas shopping when the power goes out and she's temporarily locked in the store.





	Christmas Lights

**Author's Note:**

  * For [WriterFreak001](https://archiveofourown.org/users/WriterFreak001/gifts).



The day had gotten away from Paige, too much to do and too little time, and it wasn’t logical for her to circle back down the christmas decorations aisle in the store for the third time. Her basket was already full and everyone’s presents were accounted for, but while Ralph was under Walter’s care she felt a little more inclined to leave them to whatever experiment they were working on. If she left it long enough she could return to the garage and watch them continue uninterrupted, entirely oblivious to her presence. She smiled to herself and cast her eyes over the light up ornaments. Some of them with miniature mechanical parts, the trains racing round or the reindeer stamping over rooftops. The palm sized snow covered houses with lit up hollow windows, the round shaped Father Christmases and the stylised reindeer. It might only be for a few days a year but it was nice all the same.

She slowly circled around the end of the aisle and headed for the checkout lanes. All were full despite it being late afternoon and the daylight had disappeared through the floor to ceiling windows across the front of the store. The floodlights from the store lit up a light snowfall that spun down in a whirlwind across the parking lot. She shivered at the thought of stepping back outside.

She joined the queue that was shorter by two people, only to find the cashier was trying to explain why the selection of coupons she’d been presented with were out of date. Paige glanced around to the other queues but none seemed to be progressing any quicker. 

She pulled out her phone to double check the time and then across to the cafe near the entrance of the store. She day dreamed about the smell of the coffee and cake she’d have earned by the time the line moved forwards another step. 

Paige waited a moment as the person ahead of her shuffled their precariously balanced purchases on top of one another and then began loading up the available space on the conveyor.

She was reaching for the last box in the her basket when everything went dark. A collective gasp could be heard and then the dim security lights began to glow along the ceiling. As her eyes adjusted the person ahead of her stumbled backwards.

She reached out to steady them and received a muttered apology in return. 

“Ladies and Gentlemen,” A woman’s voice called out. Paige looked up towards the sound of the voice but couldn’t make out who was speaking in the crowd in that direction. She guessed it was the store manager, “I apologise for the lighting, our power has just gone out, likely due to the weather, I’m sure the back-up generators will kick in any minute,”

There were muttered grumbles from all around and Paige raised the light on her phone to look around a little more. The streetlights were still lit so she guessed it must have been a localised outage. 

“I’m not having this,” A raised voice sounded to Paige’s left, “Will someone open these bloody doors?”

“Without the power they should open automatically,” One staff member spoke up.

“Do you see me walking out of here?” The man snapped back

“I’m sorry sir, as I said, the back up generator should be on shortly,” The manager said, “There must have been a delay of it being triggered. My colleagues are trying to get it up and running as we speak,”

“Then you must have a fire escape,”

“I tried it. Some truck has parked across it,” 

“Where’s your maintenance?”

“I’m afraid he’s left for the holidays already. We’ll get our base of operations on the phone and they’ll have someone sent out as soon as possible. If I can offer anyone any complimentary food or drink please,” the manager asked but was interrupted by another panicked question. 

“Are we trapped?” Said a quiet voice beside Paige. She looked down to see a little girl, likely younger than Ralph’s age, stood beside her.

“Only temporarily. We’re warm, we’ve got food and drink, we can wait it out,” Paige said to the little girl at her side, “Should you be with someone?”

“Mummy’s working,” She said and pointed to the store manager who was attempting to placate another customer, “I was supposed to stay in the office but it went dark,”

“She’ll want to know where you are,” Paige said.

“I’ll go over when that man has stopped shouting at her,” The little girl said and nodded towards the manager.

“Smart choice,” Paige said, “The lights will be back on in a little while I’m sure.” she said and glanced around the the crowds of people. “I just need to make a call. Maybe keep in sight of your Mum,”

“You won’t get signal unless you stand right against the windows.”

“Thanks,” Paige said as she and the little girl headed closer to the front of the store. The little girl diverted off to her mother’s side and Paige stepped up closer to the glass. The manager caught looked up and reached out to divert Paige’s direction.

“I’m sorry Ma’am, please step back with the rest of the customers, we’ll have this sorted soon,”

“I just need to let someone know I’ll be late getting back,” Paige said as she sidestepped her and stepped up against the window where she thankfully saw three bars of signal appear on her phone. She dialled Walter’s number and it rang out until it switched over to voicemail. Her next call was to the garage phone.

“Hi Mom,” Ralph answered after a single ring.

“Hi sweetie. How’re you getting on with Walter?”

“It’s good, we’re working on programming to improve deep sea scanners,”

“And not too much noise?”

“No mom.” Ralph said sheepishly and she could help but smile.

“Great you’ll have to tell me about it when I get back. Could you pass the phone to Walter?”

“Sure,” Ralph said and She hear the scuffle of the phone being passed from one to another.

“Paige? Has something happened?” Walter asked immediately.

“Kind of. The power went out at the store, doors locked automatically and the back up generator hasn’t kicked in. They’re working on it but I might be a bit late back. Are you okay with Ralph?”

“Of course, do want me to come and fix it?” Walter asked.

“We’re okay, I’m sure they’ve got it handled. I heard something about the maintenance had already left for the holidays but they’re putting a call in to the head office for backup. There’ll always be the fire service who can break in, or at least drag the truck out of the way that parked up across the fire escape,” Paige said and she could hear the frustration in her own voice, “I don’t think anyone’s proposing we break a window until we have to,”

“I can be there in twenty minutes,” Walter offered.

“I’m forty minutes out at least, it’s snowing which means traffic and you’re looking after my son,” Paige said, “Really. I’m fine, I just wanted to let you know,”

“I could ask Happy, she’s closer.” Walter suggested and Paige heard the click of his laptop lid shutting.

“And ruin their perfect christmas? No, I’ll be fine. I’ll check in when they give us an ETA or when I’m on my way back,”

“Sure,” He said and then the sounds down phone were muffled, “Ralph keys,” She heard. The words muffled enough that she guessed Walter’s hand was pressed over the phone’s mic.

“Walter you don’t need to come and fix this,” Paige said, “I think I should go but I’ll see you both soon okay,”

“Yeah, see you soon.” Walter said.

“Bye mom!” Ralph called down the phone and then the line went dead. Paige shook her head and glanced around the darkened store. The cafe was still the most appealing option and she hoped they’d still take cash.

The drinks in the fridge were being stacked back into boxes and a dozen hot drinks lined the counter. 

“Help yourself love, we can’t sell it if it reaches room temperature anyway,” A young guy said. He was wearing the store’s characteristic mauve apron and slicing into the cakes behind the counter and setting each slice on a plate. She caught sight of his name tag which read ‘Joel’.

“Christmas complements,” He said with a smile.

“Thank you,” Paige said and took a sip of the coffee before reaching for the cream and sugar. Two other members of staff were setting tealights on each table and along the counter and the room began 

“Are you not telling everyone else?” She asked and nodded to the groups still congregating at the tils.

“I’m in charge over here but I haven’t the nerve to approach the manager at this point, she’s bitten my head off a dozen times this week already,” Joel said and shrugged “People will soon get the idea. Can I offer you something to eat as well?” He asked and gestured to the display cabinets.

 

Paige sank into an uncomfortable sofa next to a quiet older woman in on oversized cream jumper who looked up and nodded in greeting but said nothing as she continued to read her magazine in the candlelight. The flashing lights of police arrived just as she finished her drink. She watched as the manager crossed the floor and began explaining the situation. She was trying to convince them through the glass that everyone was okay and there was no need for them to attempt to break in. The headlights from the police cars lit up the store far better than the emergency lighting

“Shouldn’t be long now,” She said and gestured towards the doors when the woman beside her glanced up.

“I wouldn’t put money on it.” The woman said, “Makes me glad I gave up smoking last year. I’d be gasping by now,”

“Good for you,” Paige said though she sensed the woman didn’t want to talk about it.

“Thanks,” She said under her breath she pushed her magazine away, “I think my sugar’s dropping. Excuse me,” she said as she pushed herself up and headed for the counter.

Paige watched her for a moment and then felt her phone vibrating in her pocket. Walter’s name across the screen.

“Hey,”

“Hi, where are you at the moment?”

“Walter you know where I am. Stuck in a -”

“Yeah, but where in the building,”

“Cafe. Right of the main doors as you come in. Why?”

“Because,” Paige looked up as Walter stepped into the open front of the cafe, “We rationalised that you’d prefer to come home than be stuck here,”

Paige smiled wide and shook her head. She shouldered her bag and cross the room to Walter. He hung up the phone and dropped his hand to his side as she reached him. She pressed forwards and pressed a kiss to his lips. 

“Where’s Ralph?” She asked as she leant back and the lights above them flickered and the refrigerators rumbled to life beside them. She smiled up at the overhead lights and then turned to glance around the room. “Ralph did that.” 

“Yeah. Do you think you can get them to pay us for it or is this one written off as doing something good in the name of Christmas,” Walter asked

“I think we should probably write this one off,” Paige said. The metal grates across the doors rose steadily and Paige spotted the look of relief across the manager’s face. She and Walter turned towards the door, and through the windows they saw Ralph racing down the sidewalk in front of the store. by two police officers who were shouting out to their colleagues. 

“Oh my god!” Paige said and started for the door as Ralph ducked inside and crashed into her. “What happened?” Paige asked Ralph who seemed too out of breath to reply. The officers stepped inside and Paige could feel the audience they’d gathered behind them. 

“Ma’am, are you the guardian of this boy,” The officer at the head of the group asked.

“I’m his mother,” She said, “And he’s just restored power to this whole building,”

“We found him interfering with a vehicle just outside,” Another officer further back said. The head of the group raised an eyebrow at Paige.

“I had to jump start the generator with something so I used the truck we’d had to move from in from of the fire escape,” Ralph said, “They saw me under the hood and asked if I was cutting the brakes for a dare,” Paige pushed Ralph behind her and towards Walter as she faced down the accusing officer.

“That’s ridiculous-,” Walter started and Paige caught him with a hand against his chest

“Walter.” Paige stopped him and then turned back to the officers, “You’re welcome to check the car over at your leisure but I’ve just spent an hour and a half trapped inside this building. You have no evidence of my son doing damage to the car, though if the place has halfway decent security cameras you will find that that vehicle was parked across a fire escape. I suggest that will be a more interesting line of enquiry than whatever you think you can accuse my son of,” She said plainly and then looked to the officer who held her son’s bag in one hand. 

“May I have his rucksack back?” She asked and held out a hand. The officer looked between his colleagues and after a mix of shared looks shrugs and a nod he handed it over.

“Thank you.” Paige said, “Have a merry christmas.” She said flatly as she ushered her boys through the police line.

“Thanks Mom,” Ralph said as he fell into step beside her and took his bag back. She felt Walter’s hand wrap around her waist and she leant into it.

“Did you get all you wanted before the power went?” Walter asked.

“Right now I just want to head home,” She said and reached out to rest a hand on Ralph’s shoulder. “Think you two can fix that too?” 

Walter smiled and nodded and when she looked to Ralph he was doing the same. the snow continued to swirl around them and Paige was sure that as soon as they got home she'd make them all hot chocolate

“It won’t be my fault if we get chased by the police though,” Ralph said

“It never is,” Paige said and shot Walter a look, “This time I’m going to blame the babysitter,”

“Hey!” Walter objected and she cut off his objections with a light kiss on his cheek.

“Thank you for coming to get me.” Paige said and pressed a second kiss to his lips.


End file.
